Craig Gordon: If Celtic play our best, we'll beat Rangers

Craig Gordon insists Celtic are assured of victory in today's Old Firm showdown if they play their best '“ regardless of how Rangers perform.

Celtic goalie Craig Gordon trains in the snow. Picture: Craig Foy/SNS

The Celtic keeper believes a below-par display helped Rangers secure a 1-1 draw on their previous visit to Parkhead in March.

Graeme Murty, in caretaker charge of the Ibrox club that day, now returns to Celtic Park as “permanent” manager bidding to secure at least a repeat of that outcome.

But Gordon has no doubt he and his team-mates can cope with whatever Murty’s squad are able to deliver this afternoon.

“We know it will be a battle, that Rangers will come out and try to make a few tackles because it’s a derby game and they have to do that,” said the Scotland number one.

“We have to be ready for that and stand up to it. But at the same time, we have to stay calm and play the type of football we know. If we do play how we can, then we will win the match.

“We didn’t play particularly well in the game in March and Rangers did. It shows that on any given day, you can go close to losing to anyone. We didn’t play to our standards and we nearly got caught out. We probably didn’t deserve any more than a draw out of that game.

“It’s a reminder of what can happen if we drop a level. But we know that if we play to the best of our ability, we will win.”